Curling, counting, and stacking device



Feb. 0, 1925; 1,525,528. M. E. WIDELL CURLING, couuwme, AND sncxma DEVICE Filed Sept/1Q, 1920 s Sheets-$hept 1 Feb. 10, 1925. 1,525,528

M. E. WIDELL CURLING, COUNTING, AND STACKING- DEVICE Filed Sept, 10. 1920 s Sheets-Shed 2 Feb. 10, 1925.

6 Sheets-Shea} 5 Filed Sept, 10. 1929 M. E. WIDELL CURLING, COUNTING, AND STACKING DEVICE Filed se p, 1'0, 6 Sheets-Sheet '4' Feb. 10, 1925.

1,525,528 M. E. WIDELL CURLING, COUNTING, AND STACKING DEVICE Filed Sept; 10. 1920 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 F95 M. E. WIDELL CURLING, coumme, Arm STAICKING DEVICE 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept ,'10j. 1920 Patented Feb. 10,1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAGNus n. wInnLL, or MAYwooniLLINoIs, ASSIGNOB TO AMERICAN cAN cont- .--PANY, on NEW YORK, Y., A ooRPonA'rIoN OF NEW JERSEY.

ouRLING, COUNTING, AND 'STAGKING nnvron.

Application filed September 10, 1920. Serial No. 409,395.

TQ all whom it" may concern:

Be it known that I, MAGNUS E. VIDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in Maywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Curling, Counting, and

Stacking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to apparatus for operating upon and handling can ends and the like, and among its objects may be mentioned the following. I

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an apparatus,

can ends and arrangingthem in stacks or lots of desired magnitude. Prior to my present invention it has been generally the custom to make lots of can ends, for shipment and the like, by weighing them, and of course this necessitated the careful attention of a number of operators, and at best, has not had minute accuracy where the size of the lots, as is usual, is large.

A further important object of my invention is the accomplishment of this result as an incident to or in connection with the performance of a formative operation, as, for example, the sizing and curling of the can end flanges. These particular operations are desirably associated with the counting since they, as well as the counting;

should be performed just prior to the packaging or arrangement. of the ends for final disposition. Another important object of the invention is the provision of such an apparatus wherein by simple change or rearrangement of the parts, the magnitude of the lots of can ends ,may be altered to meet various shipping requirements. I

Another important object of the inven- [1011 is :the provision of an apparatus fulfilling "these and other requirements, accomplishing these and other purposes, of

simple and compact form and devoid of dellcate parts likely to require frequent repair, replacement, or readjustment.

Numerous other ob ects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is wholly automatic in its action, for counting better understood from the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a'side' elevation of an apparatus embodying my present invention;

Fig; 2 is a similar view taken from the opposite side;

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section taken the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a section taken the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section taken the line 7 7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a partial enlarged front elevation of the means for feeding the can ends from the stack and sizing and curling them;

Fig. 9 is a section taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a partial enlarged sectional View through a portion of a can end before curling and sizing; and

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the effect of the sizing and curling operation. V '80 For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown on the drawings an apparatus in which it is preferably embodied.

This apparatus comprises a base 21 of 85 pedestal formation and supporting a bed 22 arranged in inclinedposition at the top of the base. Side wings 23 extend up from each side of the bed and support a head 24 carrying a stack holder 25. The can 90 ends to be operate upon and counted are placed in the stack holder 25 beneath which is an opening of a diameter ef-at least that of the can ends so that the bottom of the stack does not rest upon the head. The stack rests upon two cylinders 27 provided with screw threads 28, the threads extending in a sufficient distance to permit the can ends to pass thereinto as the screws or cylinders 27 are revolved in use.

substantially on substantially on a substantially on substantially on a The can ends 29 when arranged in the stack have the usual flanges 31 upon which have been provided gaskets 32 of compound or paper. The edges of the flanges 31 extend up and-over into a slight curl The screw. threads 28 are thicker nearer the bottom of the screws than at the top 'so that the space between them is less, and as they are revolved the can ends pass down in a separated arrangement. the portions 33 of the flanges being curled to greater extent and the entire ends brought to accurate formation.

The cylinders or screws 27 are caused to rotate in the same direction by power mechanism, which will now be described. A. shaft 35' having bearings in the side wings 23 is provided with a pulley 36 conveniently driven by a belt 37 from a motor 38 carried upon a bracket 39 supported upon the base or pedestal 21. The shaft 35 is also provided with a pinion 41 meshing with a gear 42 upon a cross shaft 43 ,having bearings 44 (Fig. 5) in the head 24. The shaft 43 carries two spiral gears 45, each of which meshes with a spiral pinion 46'(F-ig.' 7) .carried upon a shaft 47 journaled in the head and also meshing with a spiral gear 48 upon the upper end 49 of one of the shafts 51 of the cylinder or screw 27. Y

The operating of the apparatus is continuous and these screws move the ends down and feed them successively from the bottom of the stack. Each end as it. leaves the screws falls upon the top 52 of the table and between guides 53 mounted thereon."

A back plate 54 (Fig. 9)" is provided along the line of movement of the ends between the screws and a bar 55 extends down from the head at the front. -The back plate 54 and bar, 55 serve to hold the can ends in operative relation with the screws during the descent of the ends.

- A slide 56 (Fig. 4) is arranged in a slot- 57 of the'table and this slide is provided with a pair of spring lifted fingers 58 and 59.

The slide is given a. reciprocating movement by a link 61 (Figs. 1 and 2) connected to :1 lug 62 extending down from the slide and also to an arm 63 fixed upon across shaft 64 having hearings in the table 22. The shaft 64 is provided with an,arm 65 connected by a link 66 with a crank pin 67 upon a crank disc 68 on the end of the shaft 43.

The mechanisinjust described gives reciprocating movement to the slide in timed relation to the feeding rotation of the screws. The twofeed fingers 58 and 59} feed the can ends out from beneath the head and into position to slide down into one of a number of receiving o-r'stack forming chutes 71 and 72 (Fig. 4), two ofsuch chutes being provided in the present instance. The guides 53 open out at the bottom and extend to the outer sides of the 'two chutes It is intended that the ends shall be counted as they .order that the chute may not be over filled.

When the lot is completed, a deflector arm 73 pivoted at 74 adjacent the ends of the adjacent sides of the chutes is swung from the guiding position directing the can ends into one of said chutes into a guiding position directing them into the other.

The counting is accomplished by mechanism which will now be described. Referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the shaft 64 is provided with an arm 75 which is connected by a link 76 with one arm 77 of a bell crank loose on a cross shaft 7 8'. See also Fig. 4. The other arm 79 of this bell crank is provided with a pawl 81 adapted to ride upon a ratchet wheel 82 on the shaft 78. The pawl 81 is provided with a tail 83 (Fig. 1) having a pin 84 (Fig. 5) arranged for engagement of an arm 85 upon a shaft. 86. This shaft 86 is one of two shafts 86 and 87 that extend across between the wings 23 and is provided with arm 88 carry.- ing a shoe 89 normally resting upon, the

table and in the path of the can ends. en a can end passes down under the action of the slide it is pushed beneath the shoe 89 lifting it. and ducing oscillation of the shafts 86 and 8%. As a result of this oscillation' the arm 85 is lifted away fronrthe pin 84 of the pawl and a spring 91 (Fig. 1) pulls the pawl down-into engagement with the ratchet wheel 82 and the counting movement results.

It is to be understood that the continuous reciprocation of link 66 imparts, through arm 65, a constant oscillation of shaft 64; that; the oscillation of shaft 64 imparts. through arm 75 and link 76, constant oscillation of hell 'crank lever 7779 which carries pawl 81; that said pawl is normally out of contact with ratchet 82, and is permitted to contact said ratchet only when a can end passes under and raises shoe 8.9: that this is because the lifting of said shoe results in the oscillation of shafts 86, 87, and the lifting of arm 85 away from a pin 84 on the tail arm ofthe pawl 81, which releasing movement allows the' spring 91 to pull the pawl into engagement with the ratchet 82. It is to be further understood that the clockwise movement of shaft 64, as seen in Fig. 1, imparts, through arm 75, link 76, lever 77 and pawl 81, clockwise movely begins.

A pinion 92 is mounted tomove with the ratchet wheel and this pinion engages a wide pinion 93 upon a shiftable shaft 94 carried by an arm 95 movable around the center of a shaft 96. This shaft carries a gear 97 keyed toit and also meshing with'the pinion 93. Reducing gear movement is provided at the opposite side of the machine upon shafts 78. and 96 (Figs. 2 and A disc 101 is keyed at 102- on the shaft 96 and is provided with two teeth 103. These teeth are adapted to engage teeth 104 of a gear105 loose, on the shaft 78 and in constant mesh with agear 106011 the shaft 96. A disc 107 is fast to the gear 106 and it also has two teeth 108 adapted to engage gear teeth 109 of a gear 110 loose on the shaft 78, this gearbemg in mesh with gear 111 on the shaft 96. The gear 111 carries a ca m 112 havin two cam surfaces 113 oppositely arrange a cam lever 114 (Fig. 4) pivoted in a boss 115 extending out from the table. This lever carries a pin 116 having a spherical head and spring pressed into a recess 117 of a lever 118 pivoted'into a boss119' and connected by a link 121 with a, crank disc 122 fast on the lower end of shaft 74, this crank disc having a recess 123 for engaging a stop in 124 to limit the movement of the crank isc 122 and of the defleoting'lever 73.

i It will be noted that the gearing described and interposed between the pawl 81 and the cam 112 is of high reducing power, that is to sa viewing Fig. 1 it will be noted that a num er of rotations of the gear 92 is necessary to a complete rotation of the gear 97. On the other side of the apparatus a number of rotations of the'disc 101 is necessary to one rotation of the pinion 105 and since the gear 106 is larger materially than the pinion 105 more than asingle rota tion of this pinion is necessary to a single rotation of the gear, and the same. is true of.

disc 107, pinion 110, and gear 111.

The size of he lots can be altered as desired by substitution of larger or smaller gears for the gear 97,,this substitution being permitted by sliding the shaft 94 of the pinion 93. lengthwise of the-arm 95 in a well-knownmanner.

A locking device for holding the parts against overthrow and unintended movement is provided by ositioning two bell cranks 131 having rol s 132engaging the. teeth of gears 106 and 111, and held by springs 133 against said teeth. A latch 134 is provided to engage the teeth of ratchet whee1= 82, and this latch is fixed on theforward shaft 87 and pulled-by a' spring 135 to hold the shoe 89 against the table.

If desired, devices may be provided to and positioned to swing positively separate the can ends as they are fedinto the feeding and curling screws 27. These devices comprise in the present instance tWo arms'141 pivoted at 142 on the underside of the frame part 24 and having wedge or knife edges 143 adapted to enter between the can end flanges at the screw 'tops. Cams 144 may be provided upon.

shafts 51 to move the arms inwardly of the can ends and springs 145 are provided to withdraw the blades'holding them against the cam surfaces 144. a

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, andv it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim: r

1. An apparatus for stacking can ends, comprising in combination, a stack holder for can ends to be operated upon, devices for feeding the can ends from said holder,

means for actuating said slide in timed relation with said feeding devices and said rotary mechanism.

2. An apparatusfor stacking can ends, comprising in combination, a stack holder for can ends to be operated upon, devices for feeding the can ends from said holder, means for operating said feeding devices, acan end guide below said feeding devices, a movable 'shoe for confining the can ends a ainst said uide means for forcin the can ends successively under said shoe thereby giving to the 'shoe actuating movements,

branches from said guide, adeflector for directing the can ends into one or the other of said branches, rotary and intermittently actuated mechanism controlled by said shoe, means whereby said rotary mechanism shifts said deflector after a predetermined number of actuations of said rotary mechanism, and

means for actuating said forcing means in timed relation with said feeding devices and said rotary mechanism. I

3. An apparatus for operating upon can ends and the like, comprising combination, a stack holder for containing a stack of cans ends, rotating screw members therebeneath for separating the can ends from thestack and feeding them singly, a counter operating in accordancewith the passage of the can ends, and a stack holder for 'receiving the can ends'from said counter and rearranging them in stack formation.

4. An apparatus for curling and stacking can ends, comprising in combination, a stack holder for can ends to be operated upon, rotary screw threaded curling devices for supporting the can ends in said. holder, the spaces between the lower screw threads of said curling devices being narrower than those between the upper threads, means for rotating said curling devices, a can end guide below said curling devices, a movable shoe for confining the can ends against said guide, means for forcing the can ends successively under said shoe hereby giving to the shoe actuating movements, branches from said guide, a deflector for directing the can ends into one or the other of said branches, rotary and intermittently actuated mechanism controlled by said shoe, and means whereby said rotary mechanism shifts said deflector after a predetermined number of actuations of said rotary mechanism.

5. An apparatus for operating upon can ends and the like, comprising in combination, a stack holder for containing a stack of can ends, a plurality of receiving stack holders, means for removing said endssing y from said stack them towards said stack holders, a shifting gate for directing said can ends into a desired receiving stack holder, and an accumulatmg counter for shifting said gate after a predetermined number of can ends have been delivered toone of said receiving stack' holders.

6. An apparatus for operating upon can ends and the like, comprising in combination, a stack holder adapted to contain a stack of can ends, means for arranging said stack ends in processional order and performing a formative operation thereon, and

automatic means separating said can ends into successive lots of equal-predetermined magnitude.

7. An apparatus, for operating upon can ends and the like, comprising in combina-- tion, a counter, a passage across which a plurality'of can ends move in regular succession, power mechanism operable by the passage of a can end to produce a power actuated counting movement of the counter when and only when a can end is passing, and deflecting means in saidpassage controlled by the counter.

8. An apparatus for curling and stackin can ends, comprising in combination, a stac holder for can ends to be operated upon, ro-

holder and directing tary screw threaded curling devices for receiving the can ends from said holder, means for rotating said curling devices, a can end guide below said curling devices, said holder and guide being inclined towards each other,

a movable shoe for confining the can ends shifts said deflector after a predetermined number of actuations nism. I

9. An apparatus for curling and stacking can ends, comprising in combination, a stack holder for can ends to be operated upon, rotary screw threaded curling devices for reof said rotary mechaceiving the can ends from said holder,-

means for rotating said curling devices, an inclined can end guide below said curling devices, a movable shoe for confining the can ends against said guide, means for forcing the can ends successively under said shoe thereby giving to the shoe actuating movements, inclined branches from said guide, a deflector mounted on said guide for directing the can ends into one or the other of said branches, rotary and intermittently actuated mechanism controlled by said shoe, and means whereby said rotary mechanism shifts said deflector after a predetermined number of actuations of said rotary mecha nlsm.

10. An apparatus for curling and stacking can ends, comprising in combination, a

stack holder for can ends to be operated upon, rotary screw threaded curling devices for receiving the can ends from said holder, a can end ide below said curling devices, a movable s oe for confining the can ends against .said guide, means for forcing the can ends successiyely under said shoe thereby giving to the shoe actuating movements, branches from said guide, a deflector for directing the can ends into one or the other of said branches, rotary and intermittently actuated mechanism controlled by said shoe, means whereby said rotary mechanism shifts said deflector after a predetermined number of actuations of said rotary mechanism, and means for actuating said curling devices and said forcing means in timed relation.

11. An apparatus for curling and stacking can ends, comprising in combination, a stack holder for can ends to be operated upon, rotary screw threadedcurling devices for sup porting the can ends in said holder, the spaces between the lower screw threads, of

. said curling devices being narrower than those between the upper threads, means for rotating said curling devices, a can end guide below said curling devices, a movable shoe for confining the can ends against said guide, a reciprocating slide for forcing the can ends successively under said shoethereby giving to the shoe actuating movements.

branches from said guide, a deflector for di recting the can ends into one or the other of said branches, rotary and intermittently acber of actuations of said rotary mechanism,-

and means for actuating said slide in timed relation, with sald curling devices.

MAGNUS E. WIDELL. 

